Attractions

Downtown AshevilleDowntown Asheville is just a mile from North Lodge on Oakland Bed and Breakfast. Discover great shopping, fine restaurants, art galleries, museums, beer pubs, live music venues, antiques, street entertainers, parks and much more.

Biltmore EstateAlso a mile away from our bed and breakfast is Biltmore Estate.

The Orange Peel
Less than a mile from our bed and breakfast is The Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club, downtown Asheville’s biggest live music club that features state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment. It has a beautiful interior, creating a fabulous setting for enjoying the premier musicians who perform here. It is one of the nation’s premiere Live Music Halls and Concert Venues featuring the very best in live music and cultural arts. Acts appearing on stage have included Bob Dylan, Flaming Lips, Ben Harper, Blondie, Spoon, Sonic Youth, Damien Rice, Sam Bush and many more. The Smashing Pumpkins did a nine-show run there in 2007. The dance floor is several hundred square feet of springy wooden slats, and the stage is in perfect view from any angle on the floor. Our bed and breakfast is one of Orange Peel’s few recommended lodging choices! Go to the Orange Peel website to see the current line-up.

Blue Ridge Parkway
One of the most scenic drives in America is just a few miles from our bed and breakfast! The Blue Ridge Parkway is designed as a “drive awhile and stop awhile” experience. Please don’t be in a hurry! Overlooks, picnic areas, campgrounds, visitor centers, hiking trails, and other areas of interest are available along the road. Short trails offer the chance to get away from the road and see the Blue Ridge up close and personal, even if just for a few minutes. Longer trails are also available for the more adventurous. Bicycling, photography, birdwatching, and practically any other responsible outdoor activity is available for the Blue Ridge Parkway visitor! Hundreds of overlooks allow opportunities to catch a glimpse of sunrises or sunsets, have a picnic, or just enjoy the view across the mountains and valleys of the region. The combination of historical and natural areas make the park an excellent destination for photographers. Craggy Gardens (in photo at right) is a short drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway from our bed and breakfast. See the Blue Ridge Parkway Guide for the Asheville area.

Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th Century American Literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, and the Old Kentucky Home boarding house earned the historic Victorian home a place as one of American Literature’s most famous landmarks. A modern visitor center is located directly behind the historic Old Kentucky Home boarding house. The facility houses an exhibit hall featuring personal effects from the Wolfe family home, Wolfe’s New York City apartment, and his father’s stonecutting shop. An audio-visual program on Thomas Wolfe’s life and writing is shown every hour, and guided tours around the boarding house leave from the visitor center. The building also houses a gift shop. Tours are only $1 and it’s in nearby downtown Asheville. Go to their website for more.

Smith-McDowell House
Just around the corner from North Lodge on Oakland Bed & Breakfast is the oldest surviving home in Asheville. Built by one of antebellum North Carolina’s most influential citizens, the Smith-McDowell House was once the home of mayors, a Civil War major, and friends of the Vanderbilts. Rescued from destruction, it is now a National Register property and a window into how life was lived here in the 19th century. The 4-story mansion was built on a plantation south of Asheville approximately twenty years before the Civil War. Constructed on a hill’s summit, ringed by picturesque mountains, the manse was constructed by slave labor. During a time when most people lived in log cabins, the imposing structure was composed of rare brick. It is the oldest surviving house in Asheville and the oldest brick house in Buncombe County, North Carolina. In 1904, Robert Garrett sold the Smith-McDowell House and built our home at North Lodge! Go to their website for more.

Biltmore VillageJust a mile from our bed and breakfast is charming Biltmore Village. Built in the late 1890’s as a classic planned community at the entrance to George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate, historic Biltmore Village today is truly one of the South’s most unique touring and shopping environments. Because of its history, its range of unique independent, locally-owned retailers, and its fine restaurants, Historic Biltmore Village has an international reputation. It’s the way shopping used to be – relaxed and enjoyable with top quality merchandise at realistic prices and wonderful customer service. Enjoy quaint tree-lined streets, brick sidewalks, open air dining, original historic houses from the 1900’s, all combined with amazing collections of one-of-a-kind merchandise of true quality and value.

Asheville Food Tours
Discover the unique flavor of Asheville on our guided walking tours of the city’s culinary treasures, in historic downtown and Biltmore Village. One of the nation’s premiere food destinations, Asheville boasts some of the most exciting and memorable food in the South. The locally roasted coffee alone will have you moaning at the first sip! Asheville Food Tours offers a sumptuous glimpse into this exotic world of local Asheville restaurants, gourmet food shops and microbreweries, featuring artisan cheeses and choice meats from local farms, crusty baked breads snatched from local ovens, rich hand-made chocolates and dynamic beer and wine lists. This two and a half hour relaxing stroll simply offers the best of Asheville, one bite at a time. Go to their website for more.

Mt. Mitchell
Drive to the top of the highest mountain east of the Rockies! Take a very scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway north from Asheville to Mt. Mitchell State Park. Enjoy the panoramic views from the new observation deck, a short walk from the summit parking area. Take a mile-high hike along rolling ridges and fertile valleys. Forested and forever misty, 1,946-acre Mount Mitchell State Park will provide you with some of the most tranquil moments you’ll ever experience. The park is open year-round, weather permitting. Their restaurant is open late May through October. See the Mt. Mitchell Guide.

Art
The Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville is the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and offers an unparalled opportunity to experience Appalachian culture and craft through events, exhibitions and shopping. There are dozens of great art galleries in downtown Asheville, and more in Biltmore Village. To visit artists in their studios, explore the River Arts District.

River Arts DistrictWithin walking distance of North Lodge on Oakland is Asheville’s River Arts District. For those that love the Arts and enjoy watching the creation of beauty, a walking tour through the District is sure to please. One can not only visit the artist’s studios but can also peruse the results of great minds who see beauty everywhere.

Visitors will find the home of 150 artists in a variety of 20 buildings in the River Arts District. Many are located on the banks of the French Broad River in historic, converted warehouses, in a small triangle of streets. While hours of operation vary for the talents that occupy the District, a visit can be an expedition to find the best of the best but many are open seven days a week. On the second Saturdays of each month artists will conduct special shows, events and workshops. As an additional highlight the District holds semi- annuals Studio Strolls where one can meet the artists in their studio and experience why this area of Asheville is so special.

The River Arts District has also recently acquired a variation of excellent restaurants, like The Junction and Wedge Brewing with more to come. In addition you will find the Grey Eagle which is well known for its concerts and shows. It is also home to Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts where students can learn all there is to know about this medium through classes, workshop and studio visits.

Don’t miss this – one of the many popular treats Asheville has to offer.

Hiking
Where to begin? There are hundreds of nearby hiking trails to choose from, many of which are located in the Pisgah National Forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. See a guide to the Top 40 Hiking Trails near Asheville.

Spas
Our guests especially love to nearby day spas. Sensibilities Spa in Downtown Asheville offer a wide array of massages, facials, body wraps, manicures and pedicures to make your spa experience complete. The luxurious, botanically-based formulas of Eminence are used exclusively for their potency and purity. Shoji Retreats is a Japanese styled hot tub day spa with massages, saunas and an atmosphere you could only find in the tranquil mountains of Japan.

North Carolina Arboretum
Whether you enjoy strolling through gardens, exploring exhibits, enriching your mind or hiking and biking, the Arboretum offers activities for all: A 434-acre natural treasure with 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, engaging indoor and outdoor exhibits that cultivate connections between people and plants, one of the finest, most unique bonsai collections in the United States at the Bonsai Exhibition Garden, guided Segway Tours, an innovative Production Greenhouse and Operations Center and great programs. Go to their website for more.

Waterfalls
Welcome to the Land of Waterfalls! There are many waterfalls to discover – some along the roadside and many with an easy hike. Dupont State Forest near Brevard has a great, easy hike to three waterfalls. Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock is also near Brevard. See the Asheville Top 20 Waterfall Guide.

Whitewater Rafting
French Broad Rafting Expeditions is the closest whitewater rafting outfitter to Asheville. For a thrilling whitewater rafting experience on Western North Carolina’s most scenic and free flowing river, the French Broad River is one of the oldest and most playful whitewater rivers. Enjoy an exciting whitewater or calm water rafting adventure. See you on the river! Go to their website for more.

Chimney Rock
Only minutes from Lake Lure, Chimney Rock offers the best of the mountains in one place – spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is proud to be part of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and is located just 25 miles southeast of Asheville. Go to their website for more.

Up-Close Outfitters
Up-Close Outfitters specializes in 1/2 and full-day guided fishing trips to some of the top bass and trout waters in the area. Their team of professional full-time guides specializes in finding those giant brown trout and largemouth bass. Go to their website for more.

Asheville Hot Air Balloons
Flying in Candler and Asheville, across the Hominy Valley amidst the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains with Cold Mountain, Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Mitchell in the background. It will take your breath away! Go to theirwebsite

Asheville-Buncombe Community College
Situated on nearly 145 acres just a few blocks from our bed and breakfast, A-B Tech offers students high quality education in an idyllic location.

Mission Hospital
While this is not a tourist attraction, many visitors come to Asheville for our wonderful hospital! See our Asheville Mission Hospital Guide.

Oconaluftee River

Asheville Air Balloons - Fly across the Hominy Valley amidst the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains.

Blue Ridge Parkway - one of the most scenic drives in America!

Pisgah National Forest

DuPont State Forest - A 3 mile hike with three gorgeous waterfalls.

North Carolina Arboretum in Autumn - A 434-acre natural treasure with 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails.